overbold kali: November 2011

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Romney knocks Gingrich as 'lifelong politician'

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign stop, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011, in Medley, Fla. While others focus on Iowa's caucuses or the early primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Romney is set to spend the day in the state welcoming endorsements from three top Cuban-American Republicans, attending several fundraisers and visiting the port in Tampa to discuss trade policy. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

MIAMI (AP) ? Mitt Romney aggressively criticized rival Newt Gingrich on Tuesday, calling the former House speaker a "lifelong politician" and questioning Gingrich's ability to fix the country's struggling economy.

Romney, speaking a day after Gingrich criticized him during a campaign stop in South Carolina, told Fox News that Gingrich wasn't as likely to beat President Barack Obama in a general election.

"I think to get President Obama out of office, you're going to have to bring something to the race that's different than what he brings. He's a lifelong politician," Romney said of Gingrich. "I think you have to have the credibility of understanding how the economy works. And I do."

Throughout the campaign, Romney has emphasized his business experience over his political tenure as governor of Massachusetts.

"I think I stand, by far, the best shot of replacing President Obama among the Republicans in the field," Romney said Monday.

Romney has rarely had such harsh words for any of his many Republican rivals, largely choosing instead to attack Obama, stay above the primary fray and frame himself instead as the likely nominee. His pointed criticism illustrates how seriously he is taking Gingrich's recent rise as the main conservative alternative to Romney in the race.

Gingrich had harsh criticism for Romney on Monday. In South Carolina, he called himself "a lot more conservative than Mitt Romney and a lot more electable than anybody else."

"It's wrong to go around and adopt radically different positions based on your need of any one election, then people will have to ask themselves, 'What will you tell me next time?'" Gingrich said in a slap at Romney's history of changing positions on issues.

Romney defended himself against that charge in his Tuesday interview with Fox. "Your list is just not accurate," Romney said when asked by anchor Bret Baier about changing his stances on climate change, abortion, gay rights and immigration. "So, one, we're going to have to be better informed about my views on issues."

Romney relied instead on a character argument to defend his record. "You can look at a person who has devoted his life to his family, to his faith, to his country," he said, a line he used in a presidential debate.

That, too, is a subtle criticism of Gingrich: the former House speaker had an extramarital affair and has been married three times.

The primary, so far, has seen a series of conservatives ? Rep. Michele Bachmann, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and businessman Herman Cain ? jump ahead in polls only to fade after mistakes or, in Cain's case, allegations of sexual harassment and an extramarital affair.

At the end of a stop at the port in Tampa, Romney ignored shouted queries from reporters, instead insisting that he holds regular news conferences.

"You guys, we have press avails and press conferences almost every day, and that's when I answer the questions," Romney said. "When I'm meeting people, it's not a good time to answer questions that are important and require good attention and a thorough answer."

The last time Romney took questions from a group of reporters was last Wednesday in Des Moines.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2011-11-29-Romney-Gingrich/id-fd12e873f91048a49347904c4253cfe7

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Dear Nicole: Quit playing it safe on 'X Factor'

Ray Mickshaw / Getty Images

"The X Factor" has fairly decent judges in L.A. Reid, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell. But Nicole Scherzinger, second from left, not so much.

By Craig Berman, TODAY.com contributor

Dear Nicole,

I?m writing to you as a public service on behalf of everyone who watches ?X Factor.? I genuinely like the show, but I?m worried about it because right now you?re dragging it down single-handedly.

You?re a judge and a mentor of the over-30s, but as of now, you?re mostly just taking up space. We?re two months into ?X Factor? and I can?t remember a single thing you?ve said. You rarely have anything to say when judging others, nor do you seem to have the same personality from day to day. One week you're headbanging to a Josh Krajcik song, and the next you're sitting there demurely like a soccer mom.

Here's the problem: Right now, you have no identity as a judge. You're not critical.? You're not entertaining. You're not funny. You're never going to out-flake co-judge?Paula Abdul. You had that little made-for-TV feud with Simon Cowell going on for a few episodes, but he?s moved on to L.A. Reid now. You?re just bland and boring.

I know that you may be feeling some pressure. You weren't the first choice as a judge, and I wish they had stuck with the original plan, both because I liked Cheryl Cole and because you would have probably helped Steve Jones to be less stiff as a host. Maybe that?s what?s causing you to react by playing it safe.

It?s disappointing, mostly because I?ve seen you sing. When you?re onstage with the dancers behind you and the audience in front of you, you project total confidence and attitude. In addition, you, more than anyone else on the show, know what it takes to make it in the music business as a manufactured superstar and how hard it is to build on that initial burst of recognition once the show goes away. You?re an original ?Popstar,? for crying out loud, even if few remember Eden?s Crush. You?re a Pussycat Doll.

But when you?re behind the podium, you look like you?re petrified to say anything mean or to make a mistake. And you need to stop behaving like that.

So do the contestants a favor: Be honest with them. Tell Drew that she?s got to do something to bring the show?s energy up every now and then instead of sticking with the teen angst ballads every week. Inform Rachel Crow that she needs to add a little edginess to her personality if she wants to avoid being labeled as a Disney Channel singer. Figure out if Chris Rene is a one-hit wonder with ?Young Homie? or if he?s got something else in the tank. Stop treating the?hopefuls?like precious flowers who will wither and die if criticized, and start telling them what they need to do to succeed.

At the very least, do something besides sit there and offer meaningless platitudes every week. The audience needs more, the contestants need more, and you probably need more if you want to come back next season.

Sincerely,
Craig

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